[Laboratory diagnosis of hepatitis C]. / Laboratornaia diagnostika gepatita C.

Laboratory algorithm for the diagnosis of viral hepatitis C (HVC) is proposed. Blood sera are screened for antiHVC by third-generation EIA and PCR of HVC RNA. Positive result of PCR is diagnostically significant. In case of positive EIA and negative PCR the serum is to be analyzed in immunoblotting. If immunoblotting is not carried out, the diagnosis is made on the basis of estimated values of hepatitis C probability attached to diagnostic EIA kit used in clinical laboratory. When evaluating the positive result, the increase in optic density (OD) of analyzed samples is compared with the cutoff OD. In OD higher than 9 and below 1.5 the probability of disease is 92.6 and 11.8%, respectively. Patients with doubtful results of serological tests are to be regularly checked up for 1 year, with laboratory tests (immunoblotting and PCR) repeated every 3 months. Complex laboratory diagnosis by biochemical and serological methods and PCR should be carried out in groups at a high risk of HVC.

[Laboratory diagnosis in tuberculosis]. / Laboratornaia diagnostika tuberkuleza.

The most reliable signs of tuberculosis infection is detection of M. tuberculosis complex in biological fluids and biopsy specimens from focus of lesions. The sensitivity of laboratory diagnostic methods is different for different biological materials, which dictates the utilization of a complex laboratory approach, including microscopy, bacteriological methods, detection of specific IgG, IgM, IgA, and polymerase chain reaction.

[Proliferative activity of lymphocytes in a culture with phytohemagglutinin and immunity parameters in acute pneumonia]. / Proliferativnaia aktivnost' limfotsitov v kul'ture s fitogemaggliutininom i pokazateli immuniteta pri ostrykh pnevmoniiakh.

Proliferative activity of lymphocytes in a culture was assessed by flow cytometry and lymphocyte blast transformation test (LBTT) with the proliferative pool of cells (S+G2+M) from 150 patients with acute pneumonia, 30 of these with the mild form, 97 with medium-severe, and 27 with grave form; in 43 patients the disease duration was over 30 days (protracted pneumonia). In addition, levels of R.protein, homoreactant, immunoglobulins, complement components, T, B, and active T lymphocytes, phagocytosis, and granulocyte oxidative metabolism were assessed. LBTT values were in inverse relationship with the disease severity. Correlations between the studied immunity parameters were analyzed. The findings indicate that LBTT is an informative method for assessing the immune reactivity and may serve for predicting the disease course and for the differential diagnosis of pulmonary diseases.

[The procedures for using immunological study methods in different diseases]. / Taktika ispol'zovaniia immunologicheskikh metodov issledovaniia pri razlichnykh bolezniakh.

The article deals with the basic principles of application of immunological methods for the diagnosis of the immune system disorders. A two-staged method of laboratory tests for the immune status evaluation was accompanied with a number of immunological methods which differed depending on the proper status of the immune system. The author stresses the clinical significance of the methods of the immune status evaluation and also gives the basic immunological criteria for the immunomodulatory therapy.

[Flow cytofluorimetric analysis of the proliferative activity of lymphocytes in a culture with phytohemagglutinin]. / Protochno-tsitofliuorometricheskii analiz proliferativnoi aktivnosti limfotsitov v kul'ture s fitogemaggliutininom.

Phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-effected lymphocyte blastogenesis test (LBGT) in culture has been assessed by flow cytofluorometry in 63 normal subjects and in 160 patients suffering from various pulmonary diseases. An algorithm for the estimation of cellular distribution in accordance with the mitotic cycle stages is suggested, and a computer program for the analysis of the results, based on the mitotic cycle stages, has been compiled. The lymphocyte proliferative activities have been estimated with various PHA doses. The findings have been in good correlation with the results of radionuclide studies (3H thymidine label). The described approach to LBGT assessment yields reliable results and may be used in diagnostic studies.